Graduality
by schizoferb
Summary: What happened in the time between the arrival home and the epilogue of the movie in regards to Doppler and Amelia? How did they go from despising one another to having four kids? A tale of love, loss, and the unlikeliest of couples. What will happen? Who will return? Will love conquer all?
1. Chapter 1

The RLS Legacy drifted through the murky Etherium, surrounded by stars. Off the port side, Dr. Delbert Doppler could see the silver arc of the Crescentia Space Port. He sighed with content. Within twenty-four hours, he and Jim would be home. He sighed again. Home. Such a wonderful word. Even more wonderful than he expected, considering that only two days ago he wasn't sure if he would ever see it again…

A realization hit him like a magilla. It was over. Treasure Planet had been found. Granted, it had gotten blown up in the process, but for all intents and purposes, the voyage was a success. Complete. Finished. Soon he would disembark this remarkable vessel, his home for the past eleven months, and return to the monotony of normal life.

Doppler looked around the deck. The things he saw here! A pod of _Orcus galacticus,_ a supernova, pirate mutinees, all the sorts of things one would find in an adventure serial played out in front of his very eyes! How could he go back to his life on Montressor?

How could he go back to being an obscure astrophysicist living in solitude? Sure, he had Jim and Sarah. But at the end of the day, he would still return to an empty mansion, not to a crowded room below deck. The camaraderie that fostered in close quarters would be gone in a matter of hours, the moment he left the ship.

"Hey Doc!" a voice called from the wheel.

Doppler looked back. "Yes, Jim?"

"Captain wants to talk to us in her stateroom! Pronto!"

Doppler's ear twitched at the mention of the Felinid captain. What could she want?

He play-saluted Jim. "Aye Aye sir."

Jim laughed and walked toward the quarters.

"Wait for me!" Doppler yelled. He ran up the stairs and after Jim.

By the time he caught up, Jim was already at the Captain's door. He smirked at Doppler and placed his hand to the metal.

"Permission to enter," Captain Amelia answered before Jim could knock. Doppler smirked back at Jim.

The door creaked as Jim pushed it open. Captain Amelia was sitting at her desk, perusing paperwork. She looked up at them.

"Mr. Hawkins. Doctor."

"Captain," both replied.

"I have just received confirmation from Crescentia. We'll be off this ship and home before tea time."

Jim smiled.

"When we reach port, those ruffians below deck will be apprehended, and the Legacy will be taken in for extensive repairs," Captain Amelia said, referring to the broken sails and other damage from their escape off of the exploding planet.

"Are you going to get medical attention?" asked Doppler, referring to her injured side.

"Of course. The Navy will insist." Captain Amelia stood. "That being said, I owe the two of you a great deal of thanks."

"Thanks, Captain?" Jim asked, confused.

"Without the Doctor's knowledge of magillas, we would have never survived. And without your help Mr. Hawkins, we would have lost more people than we did." Before Jim could protest, she added, "The loss of Mr. Arrow was tragic, but not your fault."

Jim nodded.

"And without the both of you on board, it is unlikely that I would be standing here."

"Captain…,"Doppler began. _That's not true. You're honestly the most capable of all of us. _

"No, Doctor, without you and Mr. Hawkins, I may have been able to escape the pirates, but I would not have survived that cannon blast, much less Treasure Planet's destruction. It is because of the two of you I am making this voyage's homecoming, and for that I am eternally indebted to you both."

Doppler blushed, "Th..Thank you Captain."

Jim smiled and his grim face from the mention of Mr. Arrow's death melted away.

"I sincerely cannot thank you enough. It is a pleasure knowing the both of you. If there is ever anything either of you need, just ask. Dismissed. We will see land within the afternoon."

"Aye Captain." Jim took off back to the wheel.

Doppler turned to leave as well, but before he could he looked back at the captain. She was now standing back turned to him, staring out the window.

"Captain…"

"Doctor, I believe I dismissed you."

"But Captain, I…"

"That means I want you out."

"I know, Captain, but before I leave I…"

"Enough Doctor. We may be near Crescentia, but I am still Captain of this voyage and when I give an order, it is an order. Dismissed."

Doppler nodded. "Yes Captain." He took a piece of paper from his pocket and handed it to her. She snatched it from his hands, but before she could draw back, he grabbed her and pulled her into a tight embrace. He squeezed her as hard as he could without doing any more damage, then released her.

"Goodbye Captain."

He took one last furvitive gaze at her, then left her with his note in the stateroom.

Please review!

*This is not connected to _An Unexpected Twist._ Forgot to mention that earlier.


	2. Chapter 2

As I've said before, this story is not connected to _An Unexpected Twist._

Also, I don't own Treasure Planet, although I'm sure Disney is still pretending this movie didn't exist.

Captain Amelia stood on the deck of the Legacy. She could make out the many docks, shipyards, and merchant shops that dotted Crescentia's landscape.

"Mr. Hawkins!" she called.

"Aye Captain?" he answered.

"When we dock, I want you to tie the Legacy down. Make sure it's tight, we don't want her to have survived this journey only to have her float away on us."

Jim laughed at Amelia's joke. "Aye Captain!"

Amelia eyed the port that the Legacy was to dock in. "Doctor?"

"Yes, Captain?"

"Do you see that port down there?" She pointed to make sure he could pick out the correct one.

"You mean the one surrounded by a crowd, Captain?"

"Yes, it seems our voyage has generated quite a stir. That's where we are to land. And I am in no condition to steer, so you need to."

"Yes Captain, of course." He grabbed the wheel and the Legacy began its descent to the dock.

Amelia reached into the pocket of her uniform. The paper she had received from the doctor still sat in her pocket. After checking to see if either of her crew members were watching, she withdrew it and read the contents again.

_This is my address. Perhaps, if you wish, we could stay in correspondence._

_Dr. Delbert Doppler, PhD_

_1523 Squire Bend_

_Trelawney Province, Montressor_

_How sweet of him, _Amelia thought with a smile. _Perhaps I will write to him. He'd make an interesting correspondent…_ unless of course he defined 'correspondence' the same as every other man she met. They seemed to define it as "charade until you marry me and give up your seafaring life." _Come to think of it, he does look like a wifeless scavenging mongrel…_

She decided. She would not write to him. Quieting any protesting voices in her mind, she stuffed the note back into her jacket.

"Ah!" she cried.

The doctor's head whipped back to her. "Captain? Are you alright?"

"Yes, yes. I'm fine. Just bumped my wound, that's all." Amelia winced as the searing pain returned to the dull ache to which she had grown accustomed.

He looked at her for another moment, then turned back to the wheel.

_But the way he looks at me…_

Snarling, Amelia dismissed the thought. Somehow, Dr. Doppler had managed to steer the ship next to the dock, and Mr. Hawkins leapt out and secured her. A loud grumbling sounded from below deck. The metal man from Treasure Planet and Silver's pink blob had been left to guard the mutineers. Perhaps not the best idea, but no other mutinies had occurred. All's well that ends well.

"Ship is secure, Captain!" Jim yelled, leaping back aboard.

"Good man!" she replied.

"Now," she continued, addressing both of them, "when we disembark, I will exit the ship first. Not a man is to leave this ship until the pirates have been apprehended. Is that clear?"

Both Jim and Doppler nodded.

"After that, you may go as you please. It has truly been a pleasure."

The crowd cheered as the dock men placed the gangplank. Amelia walked down it, and met with the policebots.

"Welcome home, Captain," the first droned.

"Thank you," she replied.

"Where are the pirates?" the second droned.

"Below deck. The robot and the blob are our allies; do not arrest them."

"Aye Aye."

"Ma'am."

She was never sure if they were being sarcastic or not.

"Very well," she said and walked back to the Legacy. "You are free to go," she whispered to Jim and Doppler. Jim smiled, saluted, and ran below to get the blob and the metal man. Not a moment later, they disembarked.

Smiling, Amelia looked around the dock. To her surprise, Dr. Doppler was still there. "Doctor. Perhaps you misunderstood me. You may leave."

"Captain…," he fidgeted, "you need a physician."

"Don't bother. I will go soon enough."

"When is that?" He raised an eyebrow.

"Doctor, I'm fine, don't bother with me." She wobbled a bit.

"Captain. I am taking you to the physician if it is the last thing I do."

Without protest, he led her off the ship and into the waiting sick-carraige.

Jim ran through the crowds, BEN and Morph following behind. "Mom! Mom!"

"Jim?" he heard a familiar voice.

"Ma!" he politely pushed his way through the crowd to her.

"James Pleiades Hawkins! I've been worried sick!" she exclaimed, wrapping him in a maternal hug.

"You'll never believe what happened, Ma."

"What? What happened? Are you alright? Where's Delbert?"

"Actually, Ma, I think he found someone."

"What? Jim, are you playing a joke?"

"No, Mom, I'm serious. She's the captain of the ship. They are head over heels for each other."

Mrs. Hawkins laughed. "I'll believe it when I see it."

Are you all enjoying this? Anything I could do better?


	3. Chapter 3

**A/N: **Hi everyone! I'm soooo sorry for the late update, I've had this chapter for a while now, I've just been absorbed in school and my other stories.

Please review!

* * *

Doppler led Captain Amelia to the carriage. "Get in, Captain," he commanded.

She wanted to yell at him for his insolence. He could see it in her face. But for once, her rank meant nothing. At this moment, she, the injured one, obliged.

Once seated, Captain Amelia rested her head against the carriage windowpane and sighed.

"Captain, are you alright?"

"I'm fine," she growled.

"Are you sure? Because I can…"

"No, Doctor. I'm fine," she growled again, this time shifting more towards the window, away from him.

"Oh," Doppler muttered.

For the rest of the silent carriage ride he watched her. In a way, she mesmerized him. How her hair brushed across her face. The flicker of life behind her green eyes. Her tall hourglass figure made even taller by her boots.

He tried in vain to take his eyes off her, to distract himself with the scenery, but he couldn't. All his eyes seemed to want to look at was her. The hour carriage ride flew by in a series of glances, stares, and the occasional awkward eye contact.

"Crescentia Infirmery,"the footman announced as he opened the door.

"Thank you," Doppler replied, leading Captain Amelia out of the carriage and into the building they were parked in front of.

Not long after giving Captain Amelia's name to the nurse, she was called back to see the physician. This quick admittance was gained no doubt due to her status and the extent of her injuries.

When he tried to follow her back, the nuse stopped him. "Relationship to the patient?"

"I beg pardon?"

"What is your relationship to the patient?"

He stared at her tentacled face in dumfounded silence.

"We can't let you in without knowing how you know Amelia."

"Captain."

"Hm?"

"Captain Amelia," he answered reflexively. "She's a captain…and I'm the financier of the voyage. I'll be assuming the medical expenses."

"Very well. Back that way."

Doppler nodded, thanked her, and followed the hallway to the room.

He arrived at the room he saw Captain walk into with the physician. He opened the door and went in. Both occupants stared at him blankly.

"Hello," the physician said.

"Hello," Doppler replied, and sat in the chair nearest to the door.

The physician turned back to the captain, who was sitting on the small examining bed. "As I was saying, Captain, what is your medical history? Family illnesses, genetic defects, naval injuries?"

"Up until now, nothing too severe. I fought in the Procyon Armada, a few nasty gashes, some scars I've gotten taken care of. An alarming amount of soldiers were willing to take the blows for me. Luckily, no deaths."

"And what are your symptoms?"

"A bloody massive gash across my side…"

"Broken ribs," Doppler cut in. She shot him a frightening glare.

"I see… the only way to confirm that is a physical examination."

Captain Amelia nodded. "Doctor, leave."

"Huh?" Doppler blinked in confusion.

"Doctor, I am going to remove my shirt. I am ordering you to leave."

"Oh! Oh, yes, of course!" Doppler fumbled and darted outside.

No sooner had the door shut than his pesky inner adolescent (after all, those things never go away) began yelling at him. _You moronic buffoon!_

_ Hey!_

_ Don't tell me you don't want to—_

_ She asked me to leave, so I left._

_ But_…

_It was the gentlemanly thing to do._

_ And THAT'S why we haven't-_

A piercing yowl shattered his inner argument. Doppler, along with the rest of the hall's occupants, covered his ears as a reflex. Another nurse, this time an android, rushed down the hallway, bandages flowing behind her like streamers and darted into the Captain's room. In the brief instant the doorway was clear before shutting, Doppler saw the Captain, doubled over, the physician standing by her broken side and the nurse frantically rushing to wrap her wounds.

The hall fell deadly silent and remained so for about ten minutes. Then, the physician came out.

"She is a very lucky woman."

"Is she alright?"

"She dislocated a rib; I had to reset that manually. Another rib was broken, several gashes, bumps, bruises, the like."

"Will she recover?"

"Oh, absolutely, although I'd say it was spectacular that she even made it home without a nasty infection."

"Yes…I made sure her bandages were clean."

"Good man. She's very blessed to have you. Are you her husband?"

"Oh, good heavens, no. Just the voyage financier."

"My apologies. Ah! Here she is now."

And so she was, for the door had just opened and out walked Captain Amelia, fully dressed and with the android nurse at her side.

"Now come along dear, there's a cabbie waiting for you and your friend outside."

Doppler and Amelia (after paying for her bill, formalities seemed trite) walked out to the waiting carriage, got in, and silently rode away to the site of the old Admiral Benbow Inn.


End file.
